Medical tube-connector device

Abstract

A medical tube-connector device that enables easy connection and disconnection without allowing channel ends to be touched by fingers. The first connector body includes a channel that can communicate with a tube, and is removably attached to the first connector body. The second connector body includes a channel and a concave part into which the protective cap can be inserted. A displaceable guide cap is attached to the second connector body. In a preparatory state, the concave part into which the protective cap can be inserted is open and the end of the channel is sealed. In the connected state, the end of the channel is open. The protective cap is maintained in the concave part so as to be detached from the first connector body and at the same time the channels of the first and second connector bodies communicate.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A medical tube-connector device having two connectors for connecting tubes, the two connectors being connectable to or disconnectable from each other, comprising: 
       a first connector, including:  
       a first connector body having a channel extending through its inside and being connectable to a tube at one end of the channel; and  
       a protective cap capable of being attached to or detached from the first connector body for covering and sealing the other end of the channel in a state in which the protective cap has been attached to the first connector body; and  
       a second connector, including:  
       a second connector body having a channel extending through its inside and a concave part into which the protective cap of the first connector can be inserted, the second connector body being connectable to a tube at one end of the channel; and  
       a guide cap capable of being displaced with respect to the second connector body and being provided with a cover portion for covering and sealing the other end of the channel in the second connector body,  
       wherein the second connector body and the guide cap can be brought into a preparatory state or a connected state by their relative displacement, in the preparatory state the concave part of the second connector body being open and the other end of the channel being sealed by the cover portion, and in the connected state the other end of the channel being open, and  
       by inserting the first connector with the protective cap attached into the concave part in the preparatory state and then bringing the second connector body and the guide cap into the connected state, the protective cap is moved while being retained in the concave part so as to be detached from the first connector body and at the same time the first connector body and the second connector body are connected, thus allowing their channels to communicate.  
     
     
       2. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second connector comprises: 
       a casing having an annular shape and functioning as the guide cap, the casing having, at its periphery:  
       at least one inflow/outflow port for liquids, which can be connected to a tube; and  
       an insertion opening into which the first connector can be inserted;  
       a rotor being formed of a substantially cylindrical body mounted rotatably inside the casing and functioning as the second connector body, the rotor having:  
       a fluid channel extending through an inside of the cylindrical body and forming inflow/outflow ports on a peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; and  
       at least one cap receiving recess being formed on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and being capable of receiving a protective cap attached to the first connector,  
       wherein the rotor and the casing can be brought into a preparatory state or a connected state depending on their relative rotational positions, in the preparatory state the insertion opening of the casing opposing the cap receiving recess in the rotor and the inflow/outflow ports of the rotor being sealed by the casing, and in the connected state the insertion opening of the casing opposing one of the inflow/outflow ports of the rotor and an inflow/outflow port of the casing and the other inflow/outflow port of the rotor communicating with each other, and  
       by inserting the first connector in the preparatory state into the cap receiving recess through the insertion opening from a side of the protective cap and then bringing the rotor and the casing into the connected state, the protective cap is moved while being retained in the cap receiving recess of the rotor so as to be detached from the first connector body and at the same time the channels of the first connector body and of the rotor communicate.  
     
     
       3. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 2 , wherein in the connected state, the first connector body is maintained by being fitted at a periphery of the rotor. 
     
     
       4. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 3 , wherein the protective cap can be detached from or attached to the first connector body by its sliding movement in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction of the channel. 
     
     
       5. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 3 , wherein the protective cap is attached to the first connector body through the fitting between a convex part with a T-shaped cross section provided in the protective cap and a concave part with a T-shaped cross section provided in the first connector body, and a convex part with the same T-shaped cross section as in the protective cap is provided at the periphery of the rotor except for the insertion opening. 
     
     
       6. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective cap is attached to the first connector body and at the same time a channel end of the second connector body is sealed by the cover portion by relatively displacing the second connector body and the guide cap from the connected state and thus restoring them into the preparatory state. 
     
     
       7. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein in the connected state, the guide cap can be detached from the second connector body in a state where the first connector body and the second connector body are maintained in a coupled state. 
     
     
       8. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 7 , wherein a receiving part capable of receiving the protective cap is formed in the guide cap adjacent to a place where the first connector is inserted, and in the connected state, the protective cap having been moved while having been maintained in the concave part is received and maintained in the receiving part. 
     
     
       9. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first connector and the second connector can maintain the connected state against a pulling force in a direction of the channel and can be disconnected by their sliding movements with respect to each other in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the channel. 
     
     
       10. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective cap can be attached to or detached from the first connector body by its sliding movement along a circular arc, the second connector body and the guide cap can be displaced relatively by their sliding movements along a circular arc, the circular arc corresponding to a sliding face for the sliding movement between the first connector body and the protective cap has the same radius as that of the circular arc corresponding to a sliding face for the sliding movements between the second connector body and the guide cap, and 
       the sliding face between the first connector body and the protective cap and the sliding face between the second connector body and the guide cap are arranged on the same circular arc when the first connector is inserted into the concave part from a side of the protective cap in the preparatory state.  
     
     
       11. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 10 , wherein a center of the circular arc corresponding to the sliding face between the second connector body and the guide cap is positioned inside the second connector body. 
     
     
       12. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 10 , wherein the first connector body has any one of a concave engagement part and a convex engagement part, each of which has a T-shaped cross section orthogonal to a direction of its sliding movement, the protective cap has the other one of the concave engagement part and the convex engagement part, the concave engagement part and the convex engagement part are fitted to each other to lead sliding movements of the first connector body and the protective cap, and by the fitting, the protective cap is maintained in the first connector body. 
     
     
       13. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 12 , wherein when the first connector body has the concave engagement part with the T-shaped cross section, the second connector body has the convex engagement part with the T-shaped cross section, and when the first connector body has the convex engagement, the second connector body has the concave engagement part with the T-shaped cross section, 
       in the preparatory state, when the protective cap is inserted into the concave engagement part, the convex and concave engagement parts of the protective cap and the second connector body are arranged on the same circular arc, and  
       in the connected state, the convex and concave engagement parts of the first connector body and the second connector body are fitted, thus coupling the first connector body and the second connector body.  
     
     
       14. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide cap has a wall for covering the protective cap in the connected state. 
     
     
       15. The medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide cap has a handle extending along the inserted first connector body. 
     
     
       16. A cap for replacement formed by a combination of the guide cap and the protective cap in the medical tube-connector device according to  claim 1 , comprising: 
       the guide cap provided with a cover portion that can cover and seal the other end of the channel of the second connector body, an opening adjacent to the cover portion, and a receiving part that is adjacent to the opening and that can receive the protective cap; and  
       the protective cap received in the receiving part of the guide cap.  
     
     
       17. A connector that is one of two connectors being connectable to or disconnectable from each other for connecting tubes so as to form a medical tube-connector device, comprising: 
       a casing with an annular shape, having, at its periphery:  
       at least one inflow/outflow port for liquids, which can be connected to a tube; and  
       an insertion opening into which the other connector can be inserted together with a protective cap for sealing an opening of the other connector;  
       a rotor being formed of a substantially cylindrical body mounted rotatably inside the casing, the rotor having:  
       a fluid channel extending through an inside of the cylindrical body and forming inflow/outflow ports on a peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; and  
       at least one cap receiving recess being formed on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and being capable of receiving the protective cap for sealing the opening of the other connector,  
       wherein the rotor and the casing can be brought into a preparatory state or a connected state depending on their relative rotational positions, in the preparatory state the insertion opening of the casing opposing the cap receiving recess in the rotor and thus the inflow/outflow ports in the rotor being sealed by the casing, and in the connected state the insertion opening of the casing opposing one of the inflow/outflow ports of the rotor and the inflow/outflow port of the casing and the other inflow/outflow port of the rotor communicating with each other, and  
       by inserting the other connector in the preparatory state into the cap receiving recess through the insertion opening and then bringing the rotor and the casing into the connected state, the protective cap for sealing the other connector is retained in the cap receiving recess so as to be detached from the connector and at the same time the channels of the other connector and the rotor communicate.  
     
     
       18. The connector according to  claim 17 , wherein the rotor comprises at least two cap receiving recesses and the insertion opening of the casing can oppose any of the cap receiving recesses by the relative rotational movement between the rotor and the casing. 
     
     
       19. The connector according to  claim 18 , wherein unused protective caps are supplied to the cap receiving recesses while at least one cap receiving recess is kept empty, and the rotor is rotated from a state in which the rotor is connected with the other connector, to have a positional relationship in which the insertion opening of the casing opposes any one of the cap receiving recesses in which the unused protective caps have been supplied, thus attaching an unused protective cap to the other connector. 
     
     
       20. The connector according to  claim 17 , wherein the casing has at least two inflow/outflow ports for liquids, one of the inflow/outflow ports communicates selectively with one of the inflow/outflow ports of the rotor by a rotational movement of the rotor, and at the same time, the other inflow/outflow port of the rotor opposes the insertion opening of the casing. 
     
     
       21. The connector according to  claim 20 , wherein the casing has two inflow/outflow ports for liquids, and the two of the inflow/outflow port and the insertion opening are spaced substantially at 120 degrees at the periphery of the casing. 
     
     
       22. A connector that is one of two connectors being connectable to or disconnectable from each other for connecting tubes so as to form a medical tube-connector device, the connector comprising: 
       a connector body, which is attached to an end of a tube and has a through hole that communicates with the tube; and  
       a protective cap, which is attached to the connector body and seals an opening of the connector body,  
       wherein the protective cap is detached from or attached to the connector body by being slid in a direction substantially orthogonal to an axial direction of the through hole.  
     
     
       23. The connector according to  claim 22 , wherein the protective cap has a convex part with a T-shaped cross section, the connector body has a concave part with a T-shaped cross section, and the protective cap and the connector body are coupled by fitting between the convex part and the concave part. 
     
     
       24. A connector that is one of two connectors being connectable to or disconnectable from each other for connecting tubes so as to form a medical tube-connector device, comprising: 
       a connector body having a channel extending through its inside and a concave part into which a protective cap for sealing an opening of the other connector can be inserted, the connector body being connectable to a tube at one of the channel; and  
       a guide cap capable of being displaced with respect to the connector body and being provided with a cover portion for covering and sealing the other end of the channel of the connector body,  
       wherein the connector body and the guide cap can be brought into a preparatory state or a connected state by their relative displacement, in the preparatory state the concave part of the connector body being open and the other end of the channel being sealed by the cover portion and in the connected state the other end of the channel being open, and in the connected state, the guide cap can be detached from the connector body in a state where the other connector and the connector body are maintained in a coupled state.  
     
     
       25. The connector according to  claim 24 , wherein the guide cap has a receiving part capable of receiving the protective cap adjacent to a place where the other connector is inserted, and in the connected state, the protective cap having been moved while having been maintained in the concave part is received in the receiving part, and the protective cap can be maintained in the guide cap detached from the connector body.